Legal Information Centre

21 October 2008 by Mary Heaney

Online publishing of legal complaints delayed

Proposals to make complaints against solicitors publically available on the internet have been put on hold.

Proposals to make complaints against solicitors publically available on the internet have been put on hold. The Legal Complaints Service (LCS) has maintained its support for the scheme but postponed its implementation until 2010 when it will be more practicable.

Lack of resources, outmoded technology and time pressures created by the organisation's replacement by the Office for Legal Complaints are blamed for making the scheme unviable at the present time.

The plan had come under fire from solicitors who claimed it would encourage defensive action, leading to higher costs, and detract from a customer focus in favour of compensation considerations.

The LCS had stuck by the scheme though, insisting it would provide transparency and serve as an important resource for consumers, choosing a solicitor. The LCS board chair Professor Shamit Saggar said: "We are convinced publication would have brought benefits to consumers and solicitors through increased competition and more informed choice."